Device for stretching the thread in hand-operated knitting machines



E. PILTZ DEVICE FOR STRET May 7, 1957 CHING THE THREAD IN HAND-OPERATED KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 51, 1955 W1 WM;

v W M States Pate m DEVICE FOR STRETCHING THETHREAD IN HAND-OPERATED KNITTING MACHINES Erich Piltz, Markdorf, Baden, Germany, assignor to Willy Werner Lenkeit, Markdorf, Baden, Germany 7 Application August 31, 1953, Serial No. 377,560

Claims priority, application Germany May 22, 1953 4 Claims. (CI. 66-146) This invention relates to hand-operated knitting machines and has particular relation to a device for keeping the thread to be knitted in stretched or taut condition, between the thread guide and the knitted product hanging on the needles. .The use of devices of this type in knitting machines has been known in the art. However, these known devices hold the thread in stretched condition not only when the knitting machine lock is advanced from the range of the knitting needles, but also during knitting proper. For this reason, it would be impracticable to apply the known devices of the beforementioned type to hand-operated knitting machines having an approximately horizontal needle bed, in which the needles of the machine lie side by side and on which a lock carrying a thread guide and being perpendicularly movable relative to the longitudinal direction of the needles, is arranged, because movement of the look by hand would require too much force. Moreover, the thread would not be supplied sufliciently loosely to the needles in order to obtain a loose character similar to that of hand-knit products, which is often required from knitted products made by handoperated knitting machines.

The main object of the present invention is a device of the above mentioned type for keeping the thread in stretched condition, said device being movable together with the lock and automatically controlled so as to stretch the thread between the thread-guide and the knitted product only when the lock is removed from the range of the knitting needles.

Other objects and the advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and claims and the appended drawings which describe by way of example and without limitation an embodiment of the invention.

The device according to the present invention preferably comprises a base frame, and a rotatably arranged rod provided with a release means and a clamping or gripping means. Said base frame consists, for example, of a plate of triangular shape, which is fixedly connected in a right angle with a rail-like member. This base frame carries an elongated return spring which is preferably arranged in upright position and is provided with a loop or eye at its free end.

The above mentioned clamping or gripping device preferably consists of a double loop or double eyelet provided on the lower part of the base frame, one end of a rotatable rod means being movable in the intermediate space of said double loop. Said rod means is preferably arranged on the base frame and has an arm which is under spring effect. One end of this arm ends in said double loop or eye, while its other end is formed, for example, by a rotatably arranged roller which may consist of rubber.

It has been found appropriate to fixedly arrange said spring-supported arm of the rod means in a flag-like member which is pivotally arranged on the rail of the Patented May 7,

base frame. Its upward extension beyond the pivotal point is preferably provided with a detent.

. Movement of said rotatably arranged arm of the rod is preferably limited by a setting screw provided in the base frame.

It will be understood that in using the automatically controlled device according to the invention, its release means is not actuated before the middle of the lock leaves the range of the needles which are in workingposition. It remains then cocked or set until, during movement in opposite direction, the middle of the lock reaches the border needle of the needles which are in working position. 7 During knitting, the thread is supplied in loose condition to the thread guide and needles of the knitting machine.

In the appended drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device accordin to the invention in the range of the working needles,

mounted on a hand-operated knitting machine, and

Figure 2 is a front view of the device proper according to the invention.

Figure 3 illustrates the form of double loop 14;

In Figures 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes the needle bed, 2 the needles of the knitting machine, 3 the knitting machine eccentric lock, 4 the thread guide, while the device according to the invention is generally denoted by reference symbol 5.

6,denotes the base frame of device 5. Rod 7, which is rotatably arranged on frame 6, is provided with re-' lease means, generally denoted 8, at one end, and with clamping or gripping means 9 at its other end.

Frame 6 comprises a member 10, connected with raillike member 11 and carries an elongated return spring 12 provided with loop 13. Clamping or gripping device 9 comprises double-loop 14; 15 denotes the arm of rotatable rod means 7, one end 17 of said arm being movable in double-loop 14 and its other end carrying rotatable rubber roller 18 of release means 8. Spring 16 acts on arm 15, as will be explained further below.

Flag-like member 19 is rotatably arranged at pivot 20 and is provided with detent means 21. Setting screw 22 arranged in frame 6 serves for limiting movement of arm 15. Reference numeral 23 denotes holding means on lock 3, to which frame 6 is fastened.

Device 5 according to the invention, which is connected over means 23 to lock 3, operates as follows.

Rotatable rubber roller 18 of release means 8, passes, in the course of the movement of lock 3, over the shafts of knitting machine needles 2, which are in working position and lie in needle bed 1, whereby roller 18 is pressed against needles 2, by spring 16 acting from rail 11 of frame 6, on arm 15 of rod means 7.

If new the middle of lock 3 and the roller 18 pass beyond the border needle of needles 2, which are in working position, under the action of spring 16 on arm 15, roller 18 moves downward to an extent defined by the limiting effect of set screw 22 on the member 10 of frame 6. Thereby, end 17 of arm 15, situated in double-loop 14 of device 9, moves upward and grips fast the thread passing through double-loop 14, this braking effect being likewise controlled by setting screw 22. This braking action in double-loop 14 on the thread passing through loop 13 of spring 12, stretches the thread and puts spring member 12 under tension, until rubber roller 18 passes over the border needle of the needles which are in working position, and is thereby lifted again so that end 17 of arm 15 moves downward in double loop 14 and the clamping and braking effect on the thread passing through double loop 14 and loop 13 and the tension on spring 12 are eliminated.

As mentioned above, arm 15 is fixedly connected with flag-like member 19 which is arranged on rail 11 of base.-

framefi, rotatably about pivot 20. Above said pivotal.

point 20, member 19 is provided with a small stop member 21, which is brought into action upon lifting of arm 15 by roller 19 and the-resulting turning of member 19 about pivot 20, Thus, the entire; device according to the invention. remains automatically out of operation until, upon being removed from the working range of needles 2, roller 18 automatically causes again actuation of. the device.

. Thus, the present invention. provides a selt controlled device whi'chkeeps the thread in stretched condition betweemthread guide 4131161118 knitted product, during movement. of knitting, machine lock3 beyond the range of the: needles: engaged in knitting. This device does not affect easy operation of the-knittingmachine lock and therknitte'd product made. inthe device shown exhibits a. looserstructure similar to that obtained by hand-knitting. Hand-operated knitting machines provided. with the device of the invention. can be easily operated by onerhand and. this is an additional advantage of the invention.

It will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that thisinventionis not. limited to the specific details described above and illustrated in the drawings and can be carried out. with various modifications without departing from the' scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

- Whatis claimedis:

1. In a hand-operated knitting. machine for producing knitted goods from a thread, said machine comprising a 5 substantially, horizontally arranged needle-bed, in which the knitting needles. of the machine lie side by side, and a knitting machine lock movable perpendicularly to the longitudinabaxes of. the needles and carrying a thread guide, a self-controlled device connected with and movable together with said lock, for stretching the thread to: be k'nitted between the thread guide and the knitted product hanging on needles of the machine, only during the period when the lock is removed from the range of needles in working position.

2. Ina hand-operatedknitting machine for producing knitted goods from a thread, said machine comprising a substantially horizontally arranged needle-bed, in which the knitting needles of the machine lie side by side, and knitting machine lock movable perpendicularly to the longitudinal axes of the needles and carrying a thread guide, a self-controlled device connected with and movable together with said lock, for stretching the thread to be knitted between the threadguide and the knitted product hanging on needles of the machine, said self-controlled device including means for clamping the thread and a member for releasing said clamping means; said device comprising a frame connected with the lock; said frame carrying an elongated spring provided at its free end with a loop and also carrying a double loop, the thread to be knitted being passed through said loop and said double loop; pivotally arranged rod means, one end of WhiChtlS received by and movable in said double loop, for, clamping, under spring. effect, the thread passing through: the double loop, during the period when the lock is removed from the range of needles in working position, while the other end of the rod means carries said means for releasing the clamping means, such release being effected by engagement of the release means by knitting needles in the working, range of needles.

3. A: hand-operated knitting machine, as claimed in claim 2, in which the frame comprises a plate connected with a rail member, and the elongated spring is arranged in upright position 4. A hand-operated knitting. machine, as claimed in claim. 2,. in which the clamping means is arranged at the bottom of the frame and comprises a double loop adapted to ,movably receive, in it's intermediate space, one end of the rod means,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2',488,l33' Martin et al. Nov. 15, i949 

